This application claims priority to Indian Patent Application No. 5703/CHE/2015 filed Oct. 23, 2015, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to energy attenuation systems, and more particularly to a kinetic energy attenuation system with twin wire bending.
Military aircraft including rotorcraft and helicopters may undergo high vertical accelerations and/or decelerations in fast (hard) landing scenarios. Energy absorption with respect to hard landings may help preserve health and safety of aircraft occupants. Conventional aircraft cockpit seats may include energy attenuation systems designed to absorb vertical accelerations/decelerations. The “wire bender type” is one of the most commonly used mechanisms for energy absorption in seating products. Conventional wire bender-type absorption devices may include two or three rollers and a single wire. The wire is often fixed to the aircraft structure, while the rollers are often connected to the seat bucket. In situations having extreme vertical accelerations/decelerations, the rollers on the wire may plastically deform the wire (cyclically bending and unbending the wire), thereby absorbing the energy from the vertical acceleration/deceleration. The wire often increases in cross section from the top side of the wire that is bent at the beginning of the deceleration to the bottom side of the wire bent at the end of the deceleration. However, due to the limited available stroke length for seat structure, heavier occupants may be difficult to accommodate with conventional systems.